The Anomaly
by Foxibabz21
Summary: A/U, senshi/shitennou, Usagi/Mamoru. Skylar Toles is a semi-ordinary college student vacationing in Italy with her three best friends when her life gets turned upside down by the appearance of 4 strange women who drag her into a secret world she never even imagined existed and an age old battle against deadly races who are trying to capture her.
1. Prologue

Author's note: I've been working on this story, roughly, since 2005. I'd write a scene or two here or there, over several months. I'd completely ignore the story for several months, even years when I'd get busy with life. I'd write notes and ideas all down and play around with it, mulling over them for a long time. I wrote and rewrote multiple things. I did (and am still doing) tons of research for it. I wanted to get a good bearing of where I wanted the story to go before even considering publishing anything. I'm still a little hesitant in publishing it at all since this story has changed so much since 2005. So, with all of this in mind, I will start to publish this little story of mine. Another thing I contemplated were the sizes of the chapters. I originally wrote the chapters to be long; roughly 20+ pages each give or take. I had intended to publish them in that length, but thinking it over, I've decided to break the chapters into subchapters, if you will. That way, I can upload them (hopefully) a bit faster. Also, this gives me more wiggle room to still edit them, if I so choose, without having you guys having to reread such lengthy chapters for small edits. The only problem with smaller chapters is that, I have a feeling, this story will have a lot of chapters, something I wanted to avoid. I never wanted to be that person with 50+ chapters. I'll apologize now for that

Secondly, this story is A/U. This takes place in "our" world, just the underbelly of it. Or, better yet, a secret aspect of a world no one knows exists except those privy to it. With that in mind, this story is a supernatural, adventure, action, romance story. The supernatural aspect is this: vampires, lycanthropes, shapeshifters, and warlocks (males) and sorceress (females).

Now, before anyone groans and goes not another vampire story, like previously stated, I began working on this a loooong time ago, before vampires really blew up the scene and stole my thunder. I originally fell in love with the movie Underworld back in 2003 and had been obsessed with the supernatural ever since. I wanted to take a shot at this genre, with my own spin. Keep in mind vampire mania didn't get popular until, I'd say, 2007 when the Twilight series finally became a thing. Note: the first book of that series came out in 2005, but didn't reach much success until much later. And by success, I mean the mania that it is today. (Side, sidenote: For all you Twilight fans, sorry this is not that kind of story.) So, before you cringe at another "vampire story", give this one a try. It's not just vampires, it so happens to have them in it.

For the adventure/action aspect, that's self-explanatory. I hope to do a decent job in that department. For the romance aspect, this story will mainly feature the senshi/shitennou and Usagi/Mamoru pairings, with a little sprinkle of the outers and Luna/Artemis, but not much so don't hold your breath.

Lastly, when I had originally fallen in love with Sailor Moon, that love stemmed from the American anime. Little did I know about all the editing that happened to the American version, or that it was actually based on a manga. It wasn't until much later in life, when the Internet was truly at my disposal and I'd become that person who wanted to research their childhood favorites, that I learned about the manga and all the edits the American version of the anime went through. Better yet, that there even was another version, albeit in Japanese. I just thought it was another cartoon that I loved. I'm only mentioning this because even though I've tried to research the original anime and manga, I've never had the chance to watch or read them (until now). So I've tried to portray these beloved characters to the best of my abilities from their respective sources. It can be hard at times since just between those three, the characters alter slightly (some more than others). I'd like to think I've infused all those three variations into my story!

Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon.

Prologue

Most people take the simplest of things for granted. The touch of the rain as it splatters on your face; the smell of the flowers that come from it; the look on children's faces as they play in the rain; laughing with them as you play along; hearing their laughter.

Sound. Such a trivial thing, and yet for me, something I've longed for, ever since I no longer had it. It was hard at first. I had never felt so alone in a room so full of people. The masses of people talking, yelling, and laughing without a care, and all I heard . . .. All I hear is nothing. Nothing. Nothing at all. Not the whispers of the trees, or the scuttles of a rat. The dull sharpness of nothing can be overbearing at times. Sometimes I wish I could scream and hear the anguish of my own voice. But I hear nothing. It will always be nothing.


	2. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon

I figured since I changed everyone's names, I'd make a small list of who is who, even though I tried to stick with the whole keeping the first letter the same! This story will have a lot of appearances of other minor/major characters, so if you can't figure out who they are by description, I'll do the same for them when they appear later on.

Also, there is a reason why I chose the characters name, mostly demographic and period reasons, but I'm sure you guys would've caught on!

Skylar Toles=Usagi Tsukino/Serena  
Marcellino "Marcel" Galli=Mamoru Chiba/Darien  
Rosalia "Rose" Galli=Rei Hino/Raye  
Jerrard Carter=Jadeite/Jedite  
Madilon Carter=Minako Aino/Mina  
Ketill Valdimarr=Kunzite/Malachite  
Madalena "Lena" Lobo=Makoto Kino/Lita  
Nicolás "Nico" Torres=Nephrite/Nephlite  
Anya Moskvina=Ami Mizuno/Amy  
Till Kafka=Zoicite/Zoycite

Chapter 1

The clatter of glasses and murmurs of people talking floated into the room, but the sole occupant ignored it. The room was enormous, with a four-poster bed in the center, the red draping half obscuring it. The room was dark with only one candle lit, casting dancing shadows on the walls. The young woman walked around the room, seemingly without needing a light source. A red towel hugged her body while her long, raven hair cascaded down her back, still wet from her shower. She paused at a full-length mirror, her amethyst eyes searching her neck where she knew the marks would no longer be. A pained expression flitted across her face, but it quickly disappeared with a sardonic smile. She slowly raised her fingers and traced the visible mark slightly to the left of the nape of her neck. It was a brand really. Her "little tattoo" she called it sarcastically. With a small twitch of her lips, she dropped her hand. Staring intently at the mirror, she felt the air around her become hotter. In an instant, her hair went from wet to dry. A true smile on her lips, she started walking towards her closet when a small rap at the door made her stop.

"Marcel," she said matter-of-factly.

A tall, dark haired young man walked into the room, clad in a tuxedo. He smiled warmly at her as his sapphire eyes took in her appearance.

"I see you aren't dressed for the festivities yet."

"Actually, this is my attire. You like?" She did a little twirl, a teasing smile on her lips.

"Rose, you know red always looks lovely on you, but you know you have to go." He snapped his fingers and all the lights in the room turned on. He walked over to the bed and plopped down.

"Why do you always do that? This is my room after all and I prefer less light." She sat down next to him, not really that upset about him turning on the lights. She glanced at his face and noticed him staring at the flowers on her shelf instead of paying attention. His brows furrowed a little and his lips turned into a thin line. He opened his mouth to say something but she cut him off.

"I'm surprised it took you this long to notice them. You're normally more astute than that." Her voice came off as teasing, but her body became rigid. "And no, you can't go burning his car."

"I didn't say anything about burning his car," his tone clipped, he turned his gaze to her. "And I told _you_ to stop doing that!"

She rolled her eyes. "Not my fault you don't guard your thoughts well enough."

"I didn't think I had to around you since I trust you not to go fishing around my mind," he said defiantly. She looked at him and sighed, noticing the hurt in his eyes.

"You're right. Sorry. But it is a little hard to block out murderous intents when you're practically shouting it at me."

He ignored the jab, but instead stood up and began to pace. "I don't like him sending you flowers Rose."

Exasperated, she stood up as well. She grabbed both his arms to stop him. Amethyst eyes met sapphire ones. "Do I look bothered by it?"

He searched her eyes, his shoulders drooping a little. "No, but you've always been good at hiding things."

She gave him a small smile. "Not from you, _cugino_."

"I promised _zia_ Eithne I'd look after you, and I intend to do that. I messed up once already," he said softly.

_I know_. Her lips didn't move, but she knew he heard her in his mind. Her voice was soft, soothing; not accusatory at all, which made the thought worse. She looked at him with concern, picking up the jumbled thoughts and memories from his mind. Quickly realizing his mistake, he wiped his mind blank. He didn't shut her out completely, she realized, as to not offend her. He slapped a smile back on his face.

"Just promise me you'll be careful. And don't be too late, you really do need to be here. You are my date, after all."

Her eyebrows rose, shocked at what he had just said.

"What? Just because I can't read minds like you doesn't mean I don't know what you're up to." His eyes flitted to her closet where they landed on two completely different outfits hanging side by side. He grinned at her, a white rose appearing in his hand. He tucked it into her ear.

"Show off," she muttered, but smiled at him. He laughed, the sound reverberating throughout the room.

"We've all got our tricks." He touched her hair, a frown on his face. "You really must teach me how to do that. I haven't quite figured it out yet."

Her nose scrunched up at the recent memory. "The smell of burnt hair is really hard to forget." They both laughed, Marcellino rubbing the back of his hair sheepishly.

"Now off you go to your big boy party." She gave him a playful push towards her door. He smiled, bending down to kiss her on the forehead before heading towards the door. Before leaving completely he paused and turned towards her.

"Be careful out there. You know I'm not fond of you being in the Scout team."

"Yeah, yeah. You always remind me. It's cute how you worry, but you forget that with my abilities I'm always a step ahead of everyone."

_Cocky, cocky_, he thought, knowing full well she'd hear it. She scoffed, crossing her arms. He smirked at her, taping his head. "Don't go digging in hear if you don't want to hear all of it."

Using her mind, she slammed the door on his face, ignoring the laughing that she heard coming from him as he walked away. She waited until she heard his footsteps walking down the hall and then down the stairs before moving towards the shelf and flowers. She made sure Marcellino was preoccupied, flittering through all the other noises and voices she heard, honing in on his voice. He had struck up a conversation with his friend Ketill. Satisfied that he wasn't listening in on her like she was on him, she picked up the bouquet of oriental lilies. The smell of them had already filled her room. She took a deep breath, closing her eyes and cursing her nose for having such an acute scent. Her senses were so much sharper than humans.

The memories associated with the flowers threatened to spill forth, but she closed her mind to them, willing them away. Her amethyst eyes snapped open and, while still standing where she was, she unlocked her windows and pushed them open. Everyone knew about her other abilities, but only Marcellino knew she was telekinetic as well. And she liked it that way. She slowly guided the flowers out the window. With a swift hand gesture, the lilies went up in flames, the fiery torch reflecting off of her amethyst eyes. She didn't bother to watch the flowers singe away, the black ashes floating off by the soft winds.

* * *

Ok so that's chapter 1! I know it's a bit short and some of them will be while others will be a lot longer, promise! Please review to let me know if you guys like it!


	3. Chapter 2

Here is chapter two! Once again these first ones are a bit short, but they'll get a little longer. If you don't remember the characters names, it's in the previous chapter. If it becomes a problem, I'll post it again, but it shouldn't really be that hard to figure out who is who :). And this is the point where I beg for reviews :D please let me know if you like the story or not, feedback is always appreciated. Even if it's negative, I'll take constructive criticism as well. Also, I'm traveling around different countries and my internet is a bit sketch at some places (or non-existent in others) so updates might be a bit slower because of that.

Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon

Chapter Two

The party was in full swing when Marcellino headed downstairs. The party was being held in his family's home in a secluded area near Palermo, Italy. His home was a palace built around the 1000s. Even with all the new, modern modifications his family did to it, it still resembled the palace of his youth with Byzantine, Arabic, and Norman elements. The palace could hold over 100,000 people comfortably, so it was the perfect location for a gathering such as this. He scanned the room, eyeing all the different types of food and beverages being served, the different aromas mixing together to make a seductive concoction. His nose picked up the scent of his favorite wine and he made a beeline to the waiter walking around with it on a golden tray. He grabbed two glasses, thanking the waiter as he did so. He took a sip, relishing in the bitter taste that hit his palate.

He loved coming back to his original home. Nothing he'd seen could really compare to it, especially the extremely high ceilings. There were multiple naves, each with huge domes of their own. Nowadays people were building such low ceilinged homes, nothing like the grandeur styles of his youth. He especially loved the artwork on the domes. He smiled at the memory of his father contracting the best Byzantine mosaicists of that time. His sapphire eyes glanced up and roamed the dome that he was currently under. His acute eyesight saw every detail, every single stone that made up the whole picture. It was mostly made up of gold glass tesserae, which created a shimmering overall effect. This dome in particular had the patron saints of Italy on them. His eyes traveled down the polychrome marble pillars to the marble floor, with its geometric patterns and animal designs.

He remembered running around this particular chamber as a child, relishing in the sounds he could make in such a large room. His mother would always chastise him, but his father would give him other trinkets to make even more noise with. His mind wandered to the time Rose came to live with them. He had rushed home when he had heard the news. His _zia _Eithne had died from a complicated childbirth. His blood still boiled from the injustice of it all. She had practically been condemned to death because of what she had done, and _zio_ Stefano had been stripped of everything he had and owned and was exiled. His father had been furious and felt helpless, watching his baby sister go through it all. His hands were tied in her case, but he did everything in his power and then some for her only child. The backlash was incredible, but he knew his father never regretted what he did for Rose. She was a tiny little thing when they brought her home. He had loved her the moment he laid eyes on the tiny bundle his mother carried in.

He chuckled at the memory of her "accidently" setting his pant legs on fire when he refused to take her on a trip with him. He had some business outside of Palermo to attend to and had told her he'd be gone for a bit. He'd felt the temperature drastically change around them, beads of sweat quickly pooling on his forehead. He had glanced at his younger cousin then, red in the face with tiny fists clamped together in anger. He'd thought it strange, the temperature spike, not her, but she had misread his thoughts. That's when he learned about some of her special talents. The flames had engulfed both his pant legs before he knew what was going on.

His musings were interrupted by a small cough near him. He turned around to see one of his oldest friends standing near him. Ketill was wearing an all black tuxedo, shirt and tie, which contrasted with his shocking blonde hair, which was so light it was almost white, that fell down his back.

"I see your date has abandoned you." His voice held a hint of teasing to it. Marcellino smiled widely while handing his friend the second glass he held.

"So it would seem. Remind me why I always invite her as my date?"

Ketill took a sip of the beverage before answering. "Because she's your cousin. And the simple fact remains that you still enjoy going by yourself to these events so you can accompany anyone of these fine ladies home." He nodded his head as two twins walked by, giggling to one another. His grey eyes flicked quickly to their wrists, which bore metal bracelets. One twin had a red one on while the other's was blue. Marcellino's hand quickly snaked out to the twin with the blue bracelet on. He brought her hand to his lips and gently kissed it.

"I hope you enjoy the party miss. If there is anything you need, don't hesitate to ask me. My name's Marcel, the host of this lovely party." He smiled mischievously, his sapphire eyes glinting.

The woman smiled shyly. "Thanks," she stammered out before her sister dragged her away from the men, throwing them a steely look.

"Oh, I do believe you angered her twin." Ketill threw Marcellino a small smile. "Well?"

"Her aura was alright. A little to. . . naïve for me. Just up your ally I think." Ketill ignored the jab. "Her sister seemed interesting, too bad Till and Anya chose her for the blood suckers."

"Hey, I heard that Galli." Even though the blonde that walked up to them had a scowl on her face, her teasing voice gave her away.

"At least we aren't soul suckers." She playfully smacked Marcellino in the arm, her smile reaching her cornflower blue eyes. She was draped in a golden dress that had a deep v-cut in the front, leaving little to the imagination. Her long, blonde hair was pulled into an elegant ponytail, exposing her bare shoulders and back. Ketill's grey eyes wandered up and down her frame discreetly. Even if he rarely looked at women that way (unlike his friend Marcellino who openly "admired," as he so called it, women) he was still a man after all, and even he could appreciate how the dress accented her shape wonderfully. And he wasn't the only one who noticed. Scanning the crowd, he could easily see men stealing hungry glances her way and even some women tossing jealous looks. The blonde seemed to radiate from all the attention and Ketill knew her well enough to know that she loved it.

"Ah, the beautiful Madilon decided to grace us with her presence. Guess my little trick worked." Marcellino leaned down and kissed her hand. "For the record, the only soul worth sucking here is yours." He winked at her.

Madilon swatted his hand away, laughing. "You know better than to think I would ever fall for your silly little tricks." Turning to Ketill, she smiled warmly at him, knowing better than to greet the man any other way.

"Madilon." Ketill returned her smile with a small nod of his head.

"Quite the party your father is throwing tonight." Madilon's gaze fell upon all the stylishly dressed men and women adorning the room. She took a sip of the red liquid that was in her flute. "Very exquisite taste."

Marcellino knew she was referring to both the party and the drink in her hand. "You know he likes to pull all the stops when it's his turn governing."

"He does have the best parties out of the four." She took a bigger sip of her drink. "Till and Anya really outdid themselves this time."

Marcellino shot her a look. "Looks like they picked favorites again. I wonder if they'd notice if I switched those lovely twins bracelets?"

"You wouldn't hear the end of it from Till." Ketill's voice had a slight warning tone to it. "You know all about his painfully detailed pie graph, thanks to your shenanigans from last time."

Madilon laughed. "I should've known it was thanks to you Marcel for Till's erratic behavior earlier on. He kept saying there was a delicate check and balance to his system, and for me not to mess it up by ignoring the rules." She turned towards Ketill. "Ketill I-" Her face went from amused to a light scowl in mere seconds. She let out a small sigh before turning to both men. "Looks like I'm needed elsewhere. It was really nice to see you guys. Maybe we'll bump into each other again tonight." She gave both men a wink and a quick smile before heading towards another part of the room. Marcellino couldn't help but notice how his taller friend relaxed a fraction after the blonde bombshell walked away.


	4. Chapter 3

I finally have decent internet for chapter 3! So this is the chapter I've been the most worried about posting. It's the one I've rewritten so many times. I've tweaked so many things in it that I'm still hesitant to finally publish this one. But here we go! I hope you guys enjoy it! Unfortunately the next chapter is really short, but that means it'll hopefully be posted up a lot sooner than this one! Also, please please review! I'd love to hear back from anyone who is either enjoying this story or is even on the fence between it.

I've also been considering getting a Beta. I've never had one nor really know how it all works at all. If anyone is interested, or would like to explain the whole process me, please message me! I figured four eyes are better than two :). I hate having silly mistakes so any help would be appreciated! And just in case you've forgotten who everyone was, here is the list again!

Skylar Toles=Usagi Tsukino/Serena  
Marcellino "Marcel" Galli=Mamoru Chiba/Darien  
Rosalia "Rose" Galli=Rei Hino/Raye  
Jerrard Carter=Jadeite/Jedite  
Madilon Carter=Minako Aino/Mina  
Ketill Valdimarr=Kunzite/Malachite  
Madalena "Lena" Lobo=Makoto Kino/Lita  
Nicolás "Nico" Torres=Nephrite/Nephlite  
Anya Moskvina=Ami Mizuno/Amy  
Till Kafka=Zoicite/Zoycite

Chapter 3

Outside the party, a young woman who had just arrived via the Gate kept consciously tugging at her dress. She ignored the outstretched hand of the lone man who manned the Gate, and walked down the steps by herself. The young man who had been waiting at the bottom of the steps chuckled as he noticed how uncomfortable she was. She growled at him before stomping towards the palace, ignoring him. He laughed, chasing after her.

"Lena, calm down!" He had grabbed both her shoulders to stop her. "You have nothing to worry about. You look stunning."

He smiled reassuringly at her before turning towards the impressive palace, missing the heat that rose to her cheeks. The couple made quit the pair. He was a daunting man: extremely tall and massively built with curly chestnut hair falling a bit past his shoulders. He had on a simple black tux, with a hunter green vest and tie. He glanced down at his date. Any other female would have been dwarfed next to him, but Lena wasn't any other female. She was modelesque in stature, which made her self-conscious about her height. She hated wearing heels because of that. She tugged again at her dress; an emerald ball gown with a sweetheart bodice and a mermaid style bottom with a front slit that went up mid-thigh, showing off long, tan legs. Her dress matched her emerald eyes to a tee. Her dark, curly auburn hair was styled in a messy bun.

The two began the long walk towards the palace doors. They passed beautiful green shrubs that lined the cobbled walkway, all trimmed perfectly. Amidst the green grass were rose bushes; the red rose being the most prominent of colors. Lena's sharp nose picked up the subtle, but distinct smells of the different roses. Her favorite was the pink rose for it had the sweetest smell of them all. Mid-way from the wrought iron gates they had come from was a massive stone fountain. It was at least 30 feet tall, with the High Sorceress Selene depicted at the top. Carved into the stone leading down the fountain was the story of the races, and at the bottom four corners were statues representing each race. They continued their walk, Lena unconsciously biting the inside of her cheek.

"I don't know how you talked me into this Nico," Lena said with an exasperated sigh.

"You are representing your clan tonight for your grandfather. Don't shoot the messenger." He gave her a lopsided smile. They climbed up the steps of the tetrastyled portico and walked through its pronaos, her heals making a _click-clack _sound on the limestone floor. They reached the green, metallic doors, which opened as though by themselves when they got near. They waited in a small line to be let into the actual party. Lena peered around the immense entrance, glancing upwards at the mosaics as she did. She saw the Galli crest depicted; a huge red rose with thorns on the stem and a phoenix in the background. She was still glancing around the room absentmindedly when she felt Nicolás tug her gently towards him. Upon arriving in the front, they were greeted by a young man and woman. Nicolás easily towered over the greeters, who both smiled widely in welcome. The young woman was petite, with navy blue eyes, alabaster skin, and what appeared to be dark, blue hair. _Shapeshifters have very interesting choices in…fashion_, she thought.

"Hello, Nicolás. You must be Madalena Lobo."

Lena looked surprised at her, but recovered quickly. "Lena, please."

"Dully noted. I'm Anya and this is Till. He'll be checking you guys in as I have a prior engagement. It was nice to finally meet you, Lena. Hope you enjoy the party."

"If you'll extend your pointer finger for me, please." Nicolás extended his first to Till, who pulled out an apparatus that he put against the side of Nicolás's pointer finger.

"You'll feel a little prick, then a slight numbness around that area for a bit. That's just the magic at work. The needle's infused with ice so as to slow down your bleeding in that area for a bit. Just enough for my machine to make sure it's really you." He smiled, his eyes flashing. Lena got the feeling that he enjoyed his work a little too much. The machine Till held made a little beep, signifying the results.

"Ah, Nicolás Torres, of the lycanthrope family." Till looked expectantly at her, waiting for her to extend her finger for him. She complied and felt the cool metal of the machine touch her finger. She barely felt the small prick of the needle, but the cold chill of the ice spell numbed that part of her finger instantaneously. A few seconds later, the machine beeped again.

"Madalena Lobo, also of the lycanthrope family." Till typed a few things on a small handheld tablet that looked razor thin.

"A few ground rules," Till began, "as you'll notice, there are humans here at the party. The ones with a red bracelet are reserved for the vampires. The ones with the blue are for the warlocks. Both bracelets will turn gold to signify they have reached the potential of what you can take from them. But you shouldn't worry about that since that doesn't apply to you. We do have some wonderful, fresh meat for you guys. Nico, I did manage to procure your favorite, the Kodiak bear. Just ask for it, I've hidden them in the back especially for you." The strawberry blonde smiled. He was wearing a dark gray tux, his long, curly hair held in a loose ponytail. His leaf green colored eyes was scrutinizing, and Lena shifted her weight, uncomfortable from his piercing stare.

"Thanks, Till. I know how difficult it can be to hunt them down." He smiled back at the blonde, then gently placed a guiding hand on Lena's back to nudge the young woman, who seemed paralyzed in place. She shot him a dirty look, but followed him. They made their way through the crowd, Nicolás greeting people he knew while Lena tried not to gawk at the place and it's guests. Her sensitive nose had already picked up on all the distinctive smells and odors people were giving off.

"That was Till Kafka an-"

"And Anya Moskvina, yes I know. Father once told me about them. They're very impressive people aren't they? They did, after all, make my beloved halberd. Father said they were impressive shifters as well, easily able to mask their scent or even falsify it, but I seemed to have picked up on both of theirs."

"And that's why you're our best tracker." Nicolás went to tap her nose, but Lena swatted his finger away.

"Don't you dare do that here!" She hissed, throwing a furtive look around to make sure no one was staring at them.

"Alright, alright!" He put both his hands up defensively. Nicolás signaled for a waiter, and after telling him about his secret meat stash turned to Lena quizzically.

"Um, do you have any jaguar meat?"

"Yes, mam. I'll be back with your orders." The waiter left in a hurry after handing them both flutes with champagne.

Lena looked around the room they were in. Her eyes went up to the ceiling, admiring the artwork that it held. This one in particular seemed to be a mosaic of sorts, with different colors splashed around, the most prominent being a lovely, dark blue. Her eyes landed on the floor next, the marble creating a beautiful silver pattern. She'd never been to such an old, but well kept, palace in Italy before. She didn't really keep up with her grandfather's affairs. She glanced at the throngs of people chatting to one another and her eyes fell upon two blondes, one she thought she recognized. Lena's eyes got wider as she took in the young woman's attire. The golden dress practically covered the basics, and what was covered seemed to accent her already perfect looking body. Nicolás followed her gaze and smiled when they landed on what she was blushing about.

"Ah, yes, the Carter siblings. Jerrard and Madilon. They practically look like twins don't they?" He mused out loud. "Madilon looks gorgeous, like always."

Lena glanced sideways at him, wondering if that were the types of women he preferred. All at once she became self-conscious of her dress, her hair, her stupid shoes, and her height. She had grown up with Nicolás around. His family's clan were nomads, given that they went where the ruling family lived. They were sworn to protect whatever family ruled at the time. His family had come to live in their region when it was her grandfather's turn to rule. They had gotten close in those years. He had always helped her train and they would spar often when he was off duty. She, in turn, would help him track since she had a knack for it even before she got recruited.

She had never looked at him other than just platonic friends. But then one day that changed. Maybe she had changed? She wasn't certain what had happened, but an easy friendship had turned to such painfully awkward moments for her. She hadn't seen him in awhile since after her grandfather's 200 years were up, they moved on to the other ruling family. He had come back a year or two ago, for one of his rare vacations. Her breath had hitched in her throat when she had finally seen him after all those years, butterflies in her stomach making her uncomfortable. She had initially chalked it up to just nerves after so many years, but it had only gotten worse during the time he had spent there. He had smiled beautifully at her when he glanced her way, his chocolate eyes lighting up. He had barreled towards her then, giving her the biggest bear hug she'd received in her life. With her whole body smashed against his, her brain went haywire. She could feel the taut muscles lining his back when she hugged him back. Her sensitive nose picked up his distinct smell: eucalyptus and juniper berry. She never realized how much she enjoyed those scents together until then. He had grown larger in his absence, and it would seem it was purely muscle. She had choked out a hello before he had finally set her down, mussing her hair quickly with a goofy grin. She had massaged her chest after he had squished it against his. One thing that couldn't be denied was that in that particular area, she was more endowed than other females. He had grinned wolfishly when he noticed her rubbing that area and mumbling death threats his way. The scowl on her face quickly fell away to a flushed face.

Even thinking of that now made her face hot, so she quickly downed her champagne and grabbed another one from a waiter walking by, depositing her empty one on his tray. "Yes, she does," Lena managed to say evenly.

"You've worked with her before, haven't you?" He asked obliviously.

"Mmm," was all Lena responded, switching her gaze to look at Madilon's brother. He was just as handsome as Madilon was gorgeous. They both shared the same blonde hair, but his fell in waves over his forehead. Even from here, she could see his cerulean eyes. He had on a white with black edges tuxedo jacket and black shirt, vest, tie and trousers. _It suites him nicely_, she thought. His gaze shifted from his sister to lock eyes with Lena. Surprised emerald eyes looked into cerulean ones. He smirked, raising his glass towards her. Lena glanced down nervously, blushing. At this moment, she was very glad she was tan enough to hide most of the red from her cheeks. She vaguely noticed Nicolás stiffen.

"Don't forget he can read minds."

"I'll remember to keep my thoughts cleaner for next time," she said, sarcasm lacing her words. She had never met a mind reader in person, even though she knew a few existed. The most famous mind readers came from the Guerra family, whose telepathic abilities had most people scared of them. Scared to the point that some clans made it obligatory for offspring's to learn how to close their minds to a mind reader. She had never made that particular lesson a priority and wondered if she'd regret it now.

"Whatever you are thinking, you have amused Jerrard." Nicolás voice brought Lena out of her reverie. Lena frowned; she definitely needed a refresher lesson on mind blocks. As she was taking a sip of her champagne she heard what was unquestionably a male's voice laugh in her head. Lena believed herself to be a reasonable person, and as any other reasonable person would have done, Lena unceremoniously spat out her champagne in shock.

* * *

These two are def my second favorite couple to write about! I hope you guys enjoyed it! Don't forget to review :D Any guesses who will be coming up next?


	5. Chapter 4

Finally, chapter four! Unfortunately, it's really short. Sorry about that, but I promise the next one will be longer! Thank you to all that have reviewed/favorite/followed this story! It really means a lot when you guys do that! Still looking for a beta if anyone's interested.

To answer some questions and love on my reviewers:

**Princess Ren**: Wow, I'm glad you've stuck with me! I hope you're enjoying this new story of mine! Thanks so much for the reviews!

**LoveInTheBattleField: **Thanks for the reviews!

**TropicalRemix:** I'm sorry it's difficult for you to keep everyone straight. The reason I'm using different names is just to fit in better for my story. If it helps, I'll add the list of everyone's names in each chapter from now on. Also, as a tip, everyone's name matches the beginning of their letter, either their Japanese names or English dubbed (old English dub). Like Makoto/Lita is Madalena or Lena for short. Hope that helps! The only one who I couldn't match that up was Zoicites (out of the 10 main characters. The minor characters couldn't be helped and I didn't try as hard).

**Valkyrie Celes: **I appreciate your honest review. I hope you can stick with my story since the whole supernatural aspect of it is only part of the story! But I understand that it's not everyone's cup of tea. Ah yes, Usagi! You've sort of encountered her already, but she'll be appearing soon (hint- in the following chapter, and then later in her own!) Haha, nope, Minako isn't a succubus! She's just a regular vampire. Of course, by regular I mean she's a little above the ordinary vampires, but you'll see that later on in the story. Can't have all the main characters be ordinary supernaturals, can we?

Here is the list of names again. I'll be adding more names once more characters get introduced, but these are the main characters.

Skylar Toles=Usagi Tsukino/Serena  
Marcellino "Marcel" Galli=Mamoru Chiba/Darien  
Rosalia "Rose" Galli=Rei Hino/Raye  
Jerrard Carter=Jadeite/Jedite  
Madilon Carter=Minako Aino/Mina  
Ketill Valdimarr=Kunzite/Malachite  
Madalena "Lena" Lobo=Makoto Kino/Lita  
Nicolás "Nico" Torres=Nephrite/Nephlite  
Anya Moskvina=Ami Mizuno/Amy  
Till Kafka=Zoicite/Zoycite

Chapter 4

Madilon narrowed her eyes at her older brother. He undoubtedly had caused that poor woman to become flustered. "Don't be such a git. She clearly seems like she doesn't want to be here and now you go and make her spit her drink all over her mate."

Madilon gazed at the young woman now, her brows furrowed in thought. "Oh!" She squealed and clasped her hands together, her bright cornflower blue eyes dancing with mirth. "I know her! Madalena Lobo. She's an excellent tracker. Perhaps the best I've ever seen." She whirled around to face her brother, who was still chuckling to himself. "You better march right over there and apologize to her."

"Oh don't be so dramatic."

"I know bloody well that you were poking inside her head, Jerrard! You know better!" She was practically pouting up at him, her arms crossed over her chest. He could only sigh and shake his blonde head, a small smile appearing on his face. He could never say no to his baby sister.

Gesturing towards the woman in question, he said sarcastically, "Lead the way, your highness."

With a smug smile on her lips, Madilon walked over to the squabbling couple. Up close, they were a bit intimidating. The man was easily over a foot taller than her that she could tell since she was never very good at judging heights. There was no doubt in her mind that he was a lycanthrope though. His height and build alone were enough to scare the bravest of men away. Madilon's sharp gaze flitted to Madalena. The young woman was all legs, easily six inches taller than she was. They had worked together awhile back for a couple of months. She hadn't been lying when she said Madalena was the best tracker she had met and worked with. That lycan's nose could pick up scents Madilon never knew were possible. She had been the one to tell Madilon that one of her particular skills had different scents to it; something she'd found amusing. The young lycan was gorgeous in her own right; Madilon had never shied away from acknowledging another woman's beauty, even if she didn't fancy women like that. She had tan, muscular legs and arms and a chest even Madilon was a bit envious of.

"So sorry my brother caused a bit of a scene for you. Madalena, it really is nice to see you again! You look absolutely stunning in that dress!" Madilon beamed brightly at the taller woman. She easily embraced Madalena, who hugged her back, kissing her cheeks, cheek to cheek, as she pulled away, a custom Madilon had gotten used to during their brief stint together.

"Oh…um thanks?" Madalena's cheeks turned a shade of pink, her hands unconsciously tugging at her dress again.

"Miss Madalena was it? My apologies for peeking inside your head. You had some interesting thoughts and I couldn't help myself. Won't happen again. My name's Jerrard Carter, and you seem to know my sister Madilon well. Nicolás, nice to see you again mate."

"Jerrard, speaking as Lena's guardian tonight, I'd appreciate it if you stayed clear of her mind. Her grandfather would have my head if anything happened to her." Nicolás grinned at the shorter man, softening the words he said.

"Oh, wouldn't want that to happen now, would we? Off duty tonight then?"

"It's my break this month. Sir Lobo asked for a favor, and I couldn't refuse." The two men started chatting, catching up on life. Being completely ignored, the two women gravitated towards one another. Madalena turned a quizzical look to Madilon, who shrugged her shoulders.

"My brother never told me he knew your…boyfriend is it?" Madilon's sly smile spread slowly across her face.

"Hardly. We're old friends. His family and mine became close when his came to work for my grandfather," Lena evenly stated, hoping her frantic heart didn't give her away.

Madilon gave Madalena a knowing smile before grabbing the taller woman's hand in her own. "In that case, let me introduce you to some sinfully handsome men here tonight."

"Oh…that's really not necessary! I didn't really come here for that."

Madilon stopped her tugging of the other woman's arm and gave Madalena a quizzical look, her other hand resting on her hip. "Why on earth are you here then?"

Madalena's eyebrows rose in surprise. "Well, I'm representing my grandfather…" she started weakly.

"And who says you can't mix business with pleasure?" Madilon interrupted, a wicked smile on her face and a glint in her eyes. "Let's have some fun!"

Madalena wasn't sure if it was the alcohol speaking or Madilon's intoxicating atmosphere that made her give in, but she nodded her head once, following the giggling blonde into the crowd.

Jerrard's cerulean eyes watched his sister carefully while listening to Nicolás. _Be careful with her baby sister. We all know what too much of your allure can do to someone. These two are not to be trifled with._

He heard Madilon huff in her head. _I only gave her a small push. Now, no more privy to my thoughts tonight. _With that, Madilon closed the telepathic link she shared with her brother. Jerrard sighed; he wasn't sure why he bothered with her sometimes.

Nicolás finally seamed to realize the two women were missing. He looked around a little frantically, his nose high in the air.

"Don't worry, mate, my sister has Lena. They're off doing girl stuff I'm sure."

Nicolás frowned. "Don't take this the wrong way, but that doesn't help. Your sisters a bit-"

"Unpredictable?" Jerrard finished, laughing at Nicolás expression. "I made sure to remind her of her precious cargo. Besides, between the two of them, only someone barking mad would try something, and even then he'd never live to tell the tale." Nicolás joined in the laughter.

"I feel sorry for anyone that tries."

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And that's chapter 4! Hope you guys enjoyed it, albeit the shortness of it. Love=reviews! :) Next up, a little bit of Ami aka Anya!


	6. Chapter 5

Here is chapter five, longer as promised! This chapter introduces a few of the side characters. I hope you guys can figure it out! The names of the new characters and their Sailor Moon counterpart will be displayed after the chapter so as to not ruin the surprise. Please keep the reviews coming. They make me happy! I love hearing any type of feed back, negative or positive.

**Princess Ren**: Thanks for the review! I hope you like this chapter! It's longer than the last.

Also, thank you to all those you have followed this story, hope you enjoy this latest chapter.

PS there is a curse word in this chapter, fair warning.

Skylar Toles=Usagi Tsukino/Serena

Marcellino "Marcel" Galli=Mamoru Chiba/Darien  
Rosalia "Rose" Galli=Rei Hino/Raye  
Jerrard Carter=Jadeite/Jedite  
Madilon Carter=Minako Aino/Mina  
Ketill Valdimarr=Kunzite/Malachite  
Madalena "Lena" Lobo=Makoto Kino/Lita  
Nicolás "Nico" Torres=Nephrite/Nephlite  
Anya Moskvina=Ami Mizuno/Amy  
Till Kafka=Zoicite/Zoycite

Chapter 5

The soft breeze was a welcome touch to the young woman's face. Palermo's hot Mediterranean weather was nice most days, but when one preferred and was used to the cold, it could get a bit stifling. She was sitting on the highest point of Teatro Massimo, hidden against prying eyes. Multiple screens were hovering mid-air in front of her and her fingers were moving rapidly across the virtual keyboard. They were Till's inventions. Well, Till's and hers since she had helped him with some aspects of it. She tapped on one of the screens in front of her and used both her pointer fingers to expand it. This screen in particular matched what Rose was looking at, thanks to the two contact camera's she had in.

Anya had gotten the text while welcoming the guests of the party. She had excused herself and had quickly changed, meeting Rose in the underground garage. While driving into town, Rose had told her that she'd gotten a tip. So here she was on top of the Teatro while Rose was down below, scouting the place out.

"See anything useful?" Anya heard Rose's voice in her ear say. She had a barely visible earpiece in her left ear, while the tiny microphone was lodged in the back of her molar. She was silent for a minute while her fingers clacked on the keyboard, her eyes scanning the bigger screen and then shifting to the other screens. The computer program she had invented was scanning faces but coming up with nothing of interest.

"Nothing yet. Just your run of the mill tourists and locals," she finally responded after another minute of searching. An audible sigh reached her ears. They had been at this for a good hour now, with futile results. "Maybe you should try inside? They could have gone in before we arrived?"

"Doubtful. You know better than I do they don't let stragglers in late to a showing. I guess I'll do one more sweep around the block and call it good. Odette had better have a good excuse for this wild goose chase."

Anya smiled to herself. "I know better than anyone that you'd rather be here than at your uncle's party."

Rose was silent at her end. Anya let a small laugh escape her lips. "Go on then. It's best we return to the party soon lest your poor cousin be stood up again."

"He's used to it." The laughter wrung in her ears before Rose's quip reached it. They were silent after that, Rose trekking along the sidewalk, her eyes constantly shifting around. About halfway through, Rose's eyes briefly landed on four individuals leaving a side door. They looked to be college aged. The sandy blonde man seemed to be supporting the blonde woman, who was leaning heavily on him for support. The other woman, a red head by the looks of it, was fanning the blonde one with a piece of paper. The other man, with large glasses and brown hair, was talking quickly on his cell phone, a concerned look on his face as he quickly glanced at the blonde woman. There was a quick shadow of a movement off to the left of Rose's eyes.

"Rose…" Anya started, her finger moving to a smaller screen and enlarging it. Everything Rose was looking at had been taped. She rewinded the feed and isolated that particular instance. It was too hazy to make out anything distinct, but it was definitely a shadow of a person. She glanced back at the live feed and saw that Rose had stopped moving and chose to sit on a bench, pretending to look at her phone.

"Yes I saw the movement too. Looks like we found something. Did you come up with a hit on any of those four?" Rose's eyes flitted to the group making their way slowly up Via Rossini and back down to her phone, clicking away at the screen aimlessly.

"Nothing of importance." Anya once again tapped on another screen, and four separate passports popped up, along with another screen filled with information. Her sharp navy colored eyes scanned quickly across the screens. "They're all from the United States here on vacation. All human. Nothing significant." Her brows furrowed together. If only her software had their quick reflexes to pick up tiny details, but alas she hadn't perfected that yet. "Anything you can tell me about our mystery shadow?"

"There's no mistaking it's male. He moved the way vampires do, more lithe than a lycan, but not with the grace you guys are blessed with. Seemed to have red hair. He's tailing those four without a doubt." Rose had found a big group of tourists and blended in, walking with them as they moved up Via Rossini.

"That's not enough for me to narrow it down to any particular person, but I'll file it for later. Can you hear anything those four are saying? Maybe there's something important we are missing."

Anya heard Rose hesitate. "Yes, for the most part. They're talking and signing at the same time, though. The two guys and the red head I can hear just fine, but it seems like the blonde girl is deaf. It sounds like they're arguing over her. I guess the blonde wasn't feeling well during the show. Seems like she passed out. The other three wanted to take her to the hospital, but I guess she's saying no. I can't really tell what she's saying since I've no experience in sign language. I'm going to attempt to read their minds real quick though; see what more I can find out. The other three don't really seem to believe her."

"Please be careful." Anya could only watch as Rose became silent, concentrating on reading the four American's thoughts.

After a few minutes, Rose finally spoke up. "Nothing too interesting. I'm sure you found the same information about them through that wacky computer of yours. The blonde's the more interest-HOLY SHIT!" Anya jumped and winced, pulling the ear piece away from her ear in one quick motion as Rose's barely whisper turned into a loud shout. Given their extraordinary senses, Rose had been talking quietly, low enough that normal human ears couldn't pick up on the words. Anya saw through her screen that the blonde had turned around and was staring straight at her, or rather, at Rose. The people around Rose were giving her furtive glances, slowly moving away from her after her random outburst. Anya also noticed that Rose had stopped moving and was pretending to be a tourist, lost and looking at her phone for directions.

"Sorry! Sorry. That blonde startled me. It seemed like she knew I was prying in her mind. No human's mind has felt that…strange." Rose's voice sounded pensive.

_Interesting indeed_ Anya thought. "Has that vampire recognized you?"

"If he has, he's ignored me. I've been keeping tabs of him as well. There seems to be another person tailing him. I can't get any information on the other one, it's always flitting away from my view and mental reach." Anya heard Rose hesitate. Even if she weren't physically there to see her do it, instinctively she knew Rose was biting her lip, mulling over a thought. "Anya, I think it's best you met me at the car. Get out of there quickly."

"Rose is everyt-" Anya stopped abruptly, sensing she was not alone anymore atop the roof of the theatre. She quickly pressed the second earing on her left ear and all the computer screens blinked away from existence a second later. She slowly stood up, keeping the wall to her back at all times, her eyes quickly scanning her surroundings.

"What an interesting device you have there."

Anya heard the sickly sweet voice before she saw the owner of it. A tall woman stepped out of the shadows. She had green, wavy hair that went past her lower back. Her light brown eyes were trained on Anya's, waiting for any sudden movements. A rapier was held loosely in her right hand. Anya eyed the weapon closely. It shined with a purple glint; poison. She would have to stay away from the blade entirely if she wanted to remain alive. Her analytical brain started to break down the woman in front of her. She was obviously a shifter, like herself, which meant they were evenly matched as far as strength and speed went. The probability of her being quicker than her opponent were slightly above average, given she had always been quick, even for a shifter, who were known as the swiftest of the four races, but Anya never discredited her opponents. That was for fools who underestimated their opponents- like many had done to her.

The woman obviously played her strengths, since she wielded a rapier, known for their quickness. Instead of using brute force, she relied on her speed and coupled with the poison, the woman most likely nicked her opponent with her sword. Each small nick would slowly poison them, unbeknownst to her opponent, until they died from the poison itself. Very smart indeed.

Anya never thought herself a fighter. She preferred being in the background, aiding her comrades, like she had done tonight. That didn't mean she couldn't fight. She drew her Swiss saber from her left hip, snapping it to its full length. Hers was laced with magical ice, giving her sword a light blue sheen to it. Ice could either be fatal or just a hindrance, depending on the quantity of ice that the warlock or sorceress interwove with the weapons. Anya always chose the latter, since she hated killing her opponents unless there was no other way around it.

Her sword was meant to slow her opponent down, hindering them practically useless so she could knock them out and get away.

"Moskvina. Anya. Oh how the shapeshifters love to praise your cunning skills. Let's see how good you really are, shall we?" The scathing look was not missed on Anya.

In one fluid motion, the woman cut the distance between them easily. She held her rapier out, her left hand held high near her head, bent at the elbow. Anya took a deep, calming breath and lifted her sabre up. The woman attacked quickly, but Anya parried, their swords making a clicking noise each time they met each other. Their movements were so rapid; a normal human would only see a blur.

The woman lunged forward again, this time Anya stepped back and to the side, hopping to catch her opponent off guard. With a thrusting motion, she aimed for the woman's unprotected left side. The woman barely had time to parry, stumbling back a few steps, brown eyes a bit wide with surprise. Anya took a step forward and took up her stance again.

The woman grinned, a menacing look on her face. "Well, well. I'm a little surprised, but no matter. Let's make this more interesting, hmm?" Her green hair slowly shimmered silver and then multiple snakes appeared. "Let's see how well you can dodge me and my beauties."

_Beauty is in the eye of the beholder_, Anya thought. "You're Esmeralda," she stated matter-of-factly, not once letting her eyes trail from her opponent.

"So she speaks!" Esmeralda spat back, the snakes hissing angrily around her head. "No matter if you recognize me, you won't live long enough to tell anyone." Esmeralda smiled, cocking her head to one side in a taunting fashion. She attacked again and this time Anya dodged both rapier and snakes as the deadly dance continued. The women became blurs, dodging and attacking around the roof, neither one hitting the intended mark. Throughout the battle, Anya's mind had transformed the fight into a chessboard. When she fought, she had always used this analysis to help strategize her next move. Going through several moves and counterattacks and finally coming up with one she deemed necessary, she grimaced a bit. This would undoubtedly hurt. But like any great chess game, some pieces had to be sacrificed.

She bided her time, watching Esmeralda like a hawk until she saw her opening. Esmeralda jabbed with her rapier and with a swift flick of her wrist, Anya blocked and pretended to counterattack, getting within range of Esmeralda's snakes. The snakes went in for the kill, aiming for Anya's exposed left arm. Esmeralda's triumphant smile was quickly replaced as she watched Anya's left arm quickly shimmer silver before turning into an animal's black fur. Anya gritted her teeth and with her sabre, she knocked Esmeralda's rapier out of her hand and plunged her sword into the woman's right shoulder, ignoring the burning feeling the snake's bite had down to her left arm.

Esmeralda let out a small scream, the snakes disappearing, and with them her green hair coming back. Her ragged breathing turned into a low laugh and brown eyes met navy blue ones. "You should've killed me. I know that my snakes found their mark. Right now their poison is running through your veins. You'll be dead soon. Although I won't lie, you are…" She paused, laughing again, but the sound came out more choked when Anya twisted the blade around her shoulder. "Or rather _were_ an impressive shifter. I see you've mastered the art of shifting singular appendages like your arm there. Most shifters only ever master the hair or nails since they're the easiest things to manipulate singularly. What a waste of a talent now though."

"It's a curious thing, these mellivora capensis, or ratel to some. Magnificent creatures, really. Their bodies have adapted to poisons so well they rarely die from snakebites."

The distinct smile on Esmeralda's face fell away to a surprised look. "You can't…you can't be serious!"

"I am. Sorry to disappoint you, but I won't be succumbing to your poisons today. It'll just be more of a hindrance." Anya pulled her saber quickly out of Esmerelda's flesh and jumped back, her left arm hanging limply by her side. The green haired woman would have crumbled to the floor, Anya's sword incapacitating her, if not for the red haired man that appeared, swiftly grabbing her in his arms.

"What did yer do to 'er?" His dark port eyes flashed dangerously at Anya. He seemed to deliberate on whether to attack her or stay with his comrade. Luckily for Anya, who was in no fighting condition, he stayed put for the moment.

"She's fine. My sword just hindered her body useless for the moment. You might want to staunch her bleeding shoulder though, my sword slows down the healing process considerably. I'd rather her not bleed out on my account." Anya slowly stowed away her saber, every fiber of her being tensed and ready to dodge the man if he decided to attack. Her left arm throbbed wanly; completely useless to her at the moment. She was afraid her whole body would follow suit, succumbing to the poison faster now that she had to worry about the man in front of her.

"Esmeralda, yee fool. Oi thought yer said yer cud 'andle 'er?" His gruff voice was laced with annoyance and a hint of concern. He gently placed Esmeralda down on the ground, ripped his shirt and used the cloth to apply pressure on the wound, the whole time keeping a wary eye on Anya. Esmeralda hissed in pain, but didn't say a word, a pout appearing on her face instead. Anya slowly crept towards the edge of the building, wanting to put space between her and the couple in front of her. She recognized the man in front of her as the one Rose had identified earlier tailing the four Americans.

"Not so fast, wee bird. Yer ain't 'eadin' anywhere."

Anya winced, her movements already sluggish. She had decided to retreat, knowing she wouldn't last long in another fight while her body fought off the poison. Her left arm was still covered in the ratel's fur, while more of her body was slowly shifting into the animal to contain the poison. She knew it was risky to shift into another animal while the poison still ran through her body, but she was out of options.

In one fluid motion, Anya somersaulted backwards and over the edge of the building, while the red haired man threw three knives straight at her. Anya's body turned into silver liquid as she shifted and hoped that her falcon body would be a smaller target for the incoming projectiles. While shifting into the peregrine falcon, she felt more than saw three flaming arrows hit the knives, altering their course and barely missing her now falcon body. As Anya flapped her wings, headed to where Rose had parked the car, she heard the angered shouts of the redheaded man as she escaped. She only hoped she could make it there before the poison really did cause damage now that the ratel's antibodies weren't fighting the poison off. Not a second later, to Anya's horror, her vision started to blur, tiny black spots popping into her line of vision. Her body became weak and soon she was plummeting towards the ground, having no more energy left to stay afloat. In a last ditch effort to save herself, she quickly shifted back to her normal state, and awaited the hard ground . . . that never came. Instead she heard a soft grunt and felt someone's body, albeit hard, grab her. Worried amethyst eyes looked down on half lidded navy ones.

"Anya, what happened?" Rose's astute eyes roamed Anya's body, looking for any wounds. "I know my arrows found their mark. Your body looks like it healed anything else." The last statement came out more like a question.

"Poison," Anya coughed out, her whole body shuddering at the effort. Rose's eyebrows shot up in shock, then furrowed together in worry. She cursed out loud, her fangs quickly appearing.

"I can't heal you like _cugino_ can, but I think if I drain enough of the poison out, you'll survive long enough for him to save you. I've got plenty of water in the car to replenish you." Rose leaned towards Anya's neck, but Anya's hand stopped her. A puzzled look crossed her pretty features.

"Rose you don't need to do that. I'm going to shift into a ratel. I'll be fine." Before Rose could even utter a comeback, Anya's body turned quickly from silver liquid to the black and white ratel. Rose was left sitting on the ground with what looked like an ugly skunk to her. Her nose scrunched up in mild disdain.

_Is ratel a fancy word for skunk?_

Rose heard Anya's soft, musical laugh in her mind.

_No_, Anya replied back. _Ever heard of a honey badger?_

_No, can't say I have. And don't go lecturing me on them either_, Rose quickly added, knowing full well Anya loved teaching her about things she'd never heard of. Grabbing Anya, Rose quickly stood up and made her way to the car.

_Before I pass out, I'd like to ask you something that's been bothering me. _Anya knew Rose always read her mind when she shifted into an animal, so that they could easily communicate.

_Hmm, what do you mean pass out?_ Anya heard Rose's voice respond back. It was still a weird sensation to get used to, hearing someone else's thoughts in her mind, no matter the countless years of communicating this way she had. _And sorry, I know you're not a fan of this._

If Anya could blush in the state she was in, she would've. _I'm the one who should apologize. I guess my minds a little befuddled at the moment, but I digress. For this body to fight off the poison, it needs to rest. Apparently sleep is already calling my name._

They had reached the car. Rose walked to the passenger side and deposited Anya on the car seat. _Watch those sharp claws of yours. I don't want to have to explain to Odette why the leather was ruined._ Anya didn't miss the humor in Rose's voice.

_About my question,_ Anya began, her eyes feeling heavy already. She heard Rose enter the car and sigh, but she remained silent, waiting for Anya to continue. _How'd you know I needed help?_

Anya saw Rose drum her fingers on the steering wheel, taking her time to answer. Biting her lip, she let out another sigh. _Please understand, I meant no harm by it. I just,_ she paused, anguish flitting quickly across her features and just as quickly being replaced by a neutral look. _After what happened to you awhile back during that mission, I decided to make a blood bond with you. _Rose had the decency to look ashamed as she confessed. Anya, rendered speechless, just stared.

_I can break it,_ Rose quickly stated, worried Anya's silence was due to anger, and respecting Anya's privacy by not sifting through her thoughts to gauge the shifter's mood.

_No, no, it's quite all right. It's just . . . surprising. I didn't realize you were that worried about me._ Anya felt touched by the gesture, more than anything.

_Yes, well, I was. You almost died Anya! _Anya heard the frustration in Rose's voice. _For the record, I only access it when we are on missions. I don't intrude on your life outside of that._

Rose could feel Anya blush, the shifter's thoughts a jumbled mess of emotions in her mind. She quickly set those aside, not wanting to intrude in her friend's intimate thoughts.

_Thank you,_ Anya said after swiftly gaining control of her embarrassment. _I'd like to know how you accomplished the blood bond without my acknowledgement, but I'm afraid that'll have to wait until after I wake up._ Anya laid her head down on the middle console, facing Rose, her eyes closing slowly.

A small smile escaped Rose's lips. _No need to thank me. You're a better friend than most, Anya. _She thought to herself, withdrawing her mind from Anya's. She drove the rest of the way in silence, comforted with the thought that she didn't get chastised in what most would see as an invasion of privacy.

* * *

And that was chapter 5! Hope you enjoyed Anya's bit! Any guesses on who the four Americans are? :)

As promised the new characters were:  
Odette= Luna  
Esmeralda= Esmeraude  
Red-headed vampire= Rubeus (his name will be mentioned later)

Please, please review with any questions, comments, concerns, or just plain love! Next chapter may or may not feature Till, aka Zoicite!

I also forgot to mention that I just couldn't help myself with the honey badger...if you guys haven't seen the video on youtube called "honey badger don't give a shit" you should check it out. It's so hilarious! And it made me want to stick that little guy in here just for fun. Be warned, it does have curse words in the video


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